Chinese military issues ‘unprecedented’ rules for top commanders’ social lives in move not tried ‘even in Mao Zedong’s times’
- Analyst describes the rules governing a range of social interactions as unparalleled but necessary to ‘keep up with changing times’
- A military source says the rules will also apply to retired generals with the aim of removing ‘very bad social effects’
A report published on the front page of PLA Daily on Monday said the rules included “specific requirements and concrete demands in eight areas” without giving further details.
The rules set out a code of conduct for dealing with Communist Party officials, government bodies and state-owned enterprises, social organisations, the media, academic and research bodies, ethnic minority and religious groups, foreign institutions and family members as well as people they meet online, according to the report.
“Political and disciplinary bodies will carry out their supervisory responsibilities, look out for and correct any problems that are in violation of the rules or the law,” the PLA Daily report said.
“[They will] hold any of the leading cadres who have been found responsible for dereliction of duty and instil a strong sense of party spirit among them and encourage them to practice self-discipline so that [the leading cadres] will live a clean social life publicly, and among their families and friends,” it said.
“[The goal] is that their social life is principled, has boundaries and is based upon rules.”
“This is an unprecedented move [for the PLA] to have a set of codes on social life for the senior cadres,” said Ni Lexiong, a professor of political science at Shanghai University of Political Science and Law. “This has not been done even in Mao Zedong’s times.”
“But it has become necessary now [for the PLA] to keep up with changing times,” he said. “Corruption has remained a problem for the military.”
Ni explained that the rules were needed since engagement between PLA generals and retired officers with local party and government leaders, businesses and social bodies was inevitable and the influence of social media and the online world had grown significantly.
“For example, the consumption of heavy liquor was a tradition among some senior officers although it was banned after Xi became the head of the Central Military Commission in 2012,” he said.
“I believe it will be spelled out in the new rules again that this is not allowed.”
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The growth of Chinese military power over the past four decades
A PLA source said the new rules, which target leading cadres of the military, would also be applied to retired generals, who are known to wield considerable influence over the younger leaders.
“Many retired generals are active in religious and cultural groups, and their presence in these bodies can sometimes be used by others for profiteering, creating very bad social effects,” the source said.
Guo and Xu are the most senior PLA leaders purged by Xi in an anti-corruption campaign that started in 2013. The pair were accused of accepting bribes from other officers in return for promotions. Guo is serving a life sentence for corruption and Xu died in 2015 when he was under investigation.
Zeng Zhiping, a law professor of Guangzhou College of Commerce, said the PLA would need to implement the rules transparently or it would face resistance from the generals.
“The best way is to allow the public to take part in the supervision so there will be a balance of power and supervision,” he said.
